Category: Soul

We all feel it; whether it’s creeping up on you at the beginning of your day, that mid-afternoon crash or sinking in at the end of your night, we all feel it. That sensation of your energy slipping away from you, the draining feeling you get when you’re finally able to sit down and take a breath. It can fully surround your mind and body like a crashing wave, leaving you in an overall “ugh” state of feeling. In the busy world of today, it can be hard to keep up with the non-stop hours we put in at work and the day to day tasks that consume our lives. We just barely have enough time at the end of the day to collect ourselves and try to recharge, just so we can do it all over again the next day and so on. It’s an endless cycle that unfortunately can make us feel like we’re continuously running on an empty tank. With all of us hustling hard to stay on top of things, even thinking about self-care sometimes can be almost humorous with how drained we’re feeling. So how can we try to combat such a thing you might ask? Coming from one exhausted human being to another, I’m here to share some of my personal self care tips and insight on to a subject that none of us are a stranger to.

Self Care Tips That Matter

One of the most important things, that I cannot stress enough, is to make rest a priority. I know, “easier said than done.” If you’re like me, you might put other people and their needs before your own, which in itself is a commendable trait but also not the healthiest for anyone, especially you. As someone with a caretaker mentality, I know how easy it can be to get wrapped up into taking care of others, to the point where you can lose yourself and in turn become toxic. In a previous blog entitled, “Realizing You’re In A Toxic Relationship”, I opened up more about this specific topic. But I will say that this statement couldn’t be truer; ‘you need to take care of yourself first in order to take care of others.’ When you’re rundown, how do you expect to properly take care of someone else when you can’t properly care for yourself? It’s like a battery that only has half of its power; sure you’ll be able to get some use out of it, but it won’t last as long or have the same efficiency as if it had its full power. Thinking of ourselves as these batteries, it’s important to remember we have the capacity to achieve more when we’re fully charged. True enough, life can hit us with some curve balls and roadblocks that throw us out of sync depleting our charge, but it’s our responsibly to ourselves to get back in sync. Mental, physical and emotional rest are essential for a healthy running system; when one’s out of commission, the others have to pick up the slack and therefore they can’t run as smoothly. Everything works in conjunction together, so when one thing is out of order, the others tend to follow.

If you’re like me, you might put other people and their needs before your own, which in itself is a commendable trait but also not the healthiest for anyone, especially you.

Doing something as simple as setting a specific time to go to sleep at night and sticking to it can help immensely. We all need rest, and what helps others rest might not work for you, so it’s important to figure what things you like to do to unwind. Whether it’s reading a book, taking a hot bath with essential oils or listening to an audio, find out what truly helps you detox from the chaos around so you can give yourself the rest you deserve.

Disconnect from Social Media

Another form of self-care that I found really helps is disconnecting from social media and taking a break from your phone. Now, now, no need to panic! I know in this digital age it seems unfathomable to put our phones down, let alone get off certain apps but it can do you a world of good from time to time. When I say “disconnecting,” I simply mean just closing down apps, turning off their notifications and clicking that phone screen off. There’s far less temptation when there are no notifications coming in! The great thing about this is that its only temporary, you set the time restraints so it can be as long or as short as you’d like.

Starting off slow and building your way up can help instead of jumping right into it. It probably won’t be very liked in the beginning as it’s a bit jarring, almost like you’re lost without hearing those familiar beeps and pings erupting from your phone. But when it’s difficult to stay away from your phone, that’s when you know it’s become a bad habit of sorts and it’s a good idea to take a step back. It’s all too easy to be sucked into the virtual universe with seemingly endless scrolling and liking, everything is just at your fingertips. But it starts to become an issue when you’re more glued to your phone then you are to your real life.

Putting our phones down and stepping outside to breathe in some fresh air can be so renewing. Just being outside for few minutes and taking in your surroundings can be the reset from cyber world that you need. Appreciate the beauty of nature by experiencing it firsthand instead of liking someone’s post about it online. Don’t feel like going outside? Open a window and get some of the same effects as if you were out there yourself. Disconnecting isn’t something that you should feel sorry for doing either, it’s necessary to find the right balance and give yourself time to be present in life without your eyes stuck on a screen. Letting the people in your life know that you’re taking a break opens up the lines of communications and can set everyone’s mind at ease; your people know you’re okay and you don’t have to worry about them thinking you’ve disappeared or ghosted them. Give your eyes and your mind a break from technology every once in a while and see the difference it can make for you, your energy and your mood!

Get Real with Your Feelings

One last point I’d like to talk about is feelings. When your energy and mood is low, sometimes we downplay what we’re feeling and going through for the benefit of others. I get it, we don’t want to bring others down with us and that’s quite considerate. But at the same time it doesn’t help anything, we may have covered up how we felt to them but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we’re still feeling those things. It’s important to be honest with others but it’s equally as important to be honest with ourselves. ‘It’s okay not to be okay’ is one of my very favorite sayings because it’s the truth.

You can’t make a flower flourish without water, just like you can’t quench your thirst from an empty glass. Self-care and being honest about your feelings is not selfish, it’s necessary.

There are going to be days when you feel like you can’t get out of bed because your energy is so depleted, and that’s okay. And there will be days that you’ll feel like staying in instead of going out and socializing and that okay as well. We all have good days and bad days. So don’t push yourself farther than you can handle on those bad days just to make it easier on the people around you. You can’t make a flower flourish without water, just like you can’t quench your thirst from an empty glass. Self-care and being honest about your feelings is not selfish, it’s necessary. Value yourself enough to take care of you and be honest to yourself and others about what you’re feeling. The more we’re able to openly communicate with each other, the more understanding and compassion we send out into the world.

21 Self Care Tips For When Your Energy is Low

Here’s a quick list of tips to try for yourself when your energy is low. Try some or try them all and see what works best for you!

Self Care is for EVERYONE

The takeaway from this is to make you a priority, no matter what your energy level is at, take the much needed steps to make sure you’re taking care of you. Self-care is needed at all times but when our energy is low, that is the time that self-care is needed the most. We’re all a little too hard on ourselves sometimes so give yourself (your mind, body and soul) rest you so rightly deserve. Because at the end of the day, our health is all that we really have, so we owe it to ourselves to take the extra care when it’s needed. Many things can be the culprit in our low energies; from life itself, not enough rest/sleep, illness, work, poor hydration/diet, seasonal changes, relationships, other stressors, you name it! As long as we consciously recognize these things and are actively working on improving them, (and seeking the proper professional help if need be) that’s all that really matters. We’re all doing the best that we can, so remember to be gentle with yourself. Treat yourself as you would treat a close friend going through the same thing, be that friend to yourself. So if you weren’t able to accomplish a lot today or get the things done that you wanted to, let me be that friend to you and say that I’m still proud of you and you should be proud of you too. Always remember, you got this!

About the AuthorRebecca Pallack is an inspiring writer born and raised in the Chicagoland area. When she’s not filing a page with her inner most thoughts, she has four legged creatures to keep her days busy. Writing has always been one of her passions, with words flowing as freely to her fingertips as air flows deeply into lungs. Through her writings hopes to make the world a better, more understanding place, one passage at a time.

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For the past 10 years my dog, Gus Gus has been there for me through thick and thin. He’s been there for all the fun adventures and road trips. He has been to different countries with me and lived in Mexico with me for 4 years. And through it all, with every break through, break down, break-up and challenge- he’s been right by my side. I learned so much about the true meaning of companionship, among other things, while walking this journey with Gus Gus by my side. Here are 5 spiritual life lessons my dog has taught me during our time together.

Practice Mindfulness – Living Fully in the MomentOne thing I’ve noticed in our 10 year time together so far is that Gus Gus never worries about the future- he is always in the present moment. For me, I’m always future tripping. It was how I was raised – to always look ahead and think (and most of the time, worry) about the future. Over the years I’ve seen how this way of thinking has held me back. I’ve missed out on so many opportunities and just simple, fun experiences due to the fact I was too busy obsessing over the future. At any given moment throughout my day I can turn around and see Gus Gus is just completely satisfied with the toys he’s playing with, or the snack he’s chewing on. Now, I understand that dogs do not have to worry about the intrinsic and mundane issues we worry about such as bills being paid, arguments that linger, etc., However, for example, if I took Gus to the dog park and he got into a little rumble with another dog, sure he’d be shaken a bit afterwards. I guarantee you he wouldn’t be laying on my bed for the rest of the day, going over in his head the fight that just took place, mulling over who’s fault it was or who started it. On the contrary. Gus Gus simply lives in every moment that he experiences.

Practicing GratitudeEvery morning without fail at 7am Gus Gus wakes me up, jumping on my side of the bed to wake me up, excited, happy, licking my face and ready to start the day. It’s a brand new day. It doesn’t matter what happened the day before- this little guy just wakes up and is amped up to be spending the day together. If there are days where I have a meeting, a gig, or just spending the afternoon with some friends, I’m ALWAYS greeted with as much enthusiasm if I was gone for 30 minutes or 3 hours. Gus Gus isn’t concerned about time, and doesn’t hold a grudge if I come home a little bit later than expected. He is just so happy, and filled with gratitude- which makes me feel grateful to come home to such a happy dog.

Food Should Always Be CelebratedAfter moving to Mexico, I realized that the tropical climate was affecting Gus Gus more than we had predicted. His skin was getting itchy and flakey, his appetite was changing, his water intake was different than when we lived in California. There was so many big changes for him. I started speaking to holistic vets that encouraged me to look into finding a more balanced and natural diet for him. His world changed drastically and to this day he still loved bone broth, his veggies, spirulina, turmeric, blueberries, cottage cheese and white meat. Of course, no matter WHAT is in his food dish, generally Gus Gus is super happy to eat it. As I was spending more and more time in the kitchen preparing both our meals, I slowly changed my own relationship with food. For a long time I had a huge love/hate relationship with the food I ate. This relationship ran deep and goes into my eating disorder I had during high school. I never looked at food as nourishing. I never celebrated the food I ate. I never felt gratitude when creating a healthy meal. I was always filled with anxiety, stupid worries, and insecurities. Once I began meal prepping for the two of us, I found joy in the kitchen. I found a new way to be creative. Now, whenever I’m making a meal – I find reasons to be joyful and celebrate the nourishing food we’re about to eat.

Understanding Unconditional LoveAs I’ve mentioned in previous lessons I have learned, independent if my day was good or bad, Gus Gus doesn’t care. He’s ALWAYS there to greet me with love and excitement. He doesn’t hold grudges. He doesn’t keep score. He’s just always there for me, no matter what. Always full of love to give.

In this human experience, we often like to keep score. We create complex scoreboards in relationships, friendships, work relationships, family connections and other interactions. A scoreboard mindset is based on the foundation of fear and often leads to resentment. By having a scoreboard mindset it makes it nearly impossible for love to flourish, let alone understand the meaning of what unconditional love is. Unconditional Love means that you love fully and with an open heart. One important lesson I’ve learned if that YOU must treat yourself with unconditional love before you can truly give it to someone else. Gus Gus has taught me over the years that after every huge mistake, regression or issue I find myself in, he’s not there to remind me how I messed up in the past, or how I didn’t do the right thing, he’s just by my side, ready to cuddle and love me and just be the all time awesome dog that he is.

Principals of Patience + FaithPatience is the ability to wait without worry or complaint. When I first got Gus Gus, he was a tiny little puppy, and I lived in San Francisco in a 3 floor walk up in an apartment that didn’t allow any pets. As I went through the long nights of his feeding schedule, to the low-key stealth potty training (imagine training this dog to tell me when he needs to go by sitting at the door, putting him into one of my messenger bags, running down the stairs, going through the basement/storage area and taking him to the alley to relieve himself.. sometimes 5 times a day) It was a long 2 weeks- but I learned that I had to be patient with the learning / training process.

Most recently, when I came back from Mexico this last April, it was such a chaotic time I didn’t have the funds or time to get Gus approved to come back to the states with me. I had several friends watch him and I knew he was in good hands, however somehow Gus got bit by a tick and eventually ended up getting Lyme disease. The disease didn’t really flare up until after he came back to California with me a few months later. It was a very stressful Summer. And although I had one of the best vets, he kept telling me this whole process is going to just take a lot of time for him to fully heal. There was a point when I didn’t think he was going to make it, honestly. I could see the disease affecting his motor skills, he was lethargic. I just had to stay positive, stay patient, and give him his medicines at the precise time throughout the day. After 3 weeks I saw a big change in his demeanor. It was tough on me emotionally and mentally. But one thing that I will always remember is how every time I stared down at his scruffy little face, his eyes were never sad, he never seemed uncomfortable. I just felt a huge sense of relaxed energy from him. Almost as if he was telepathically trying to tell me, “It’s gonna be ok. Just give me time”.

As I write this, I’m currently in my bed, with Gus Gus snuggled at the base of my feet. He’s always been a great foot-warmer. I’ve realized that throughout my 10 years together with this little scruff ball, I have learned SO many lessons. But one thing that is always in the back of my mind, is that one day, Gus Gus is going to leave this world and hopefully his puppy spirit will be having a blast somewhere- wherever dog spirits go after they leave their companions. So I suppose the ultimate spiritual life lesson I’ll be learning during our relationship together is letting go. At some point, our furry four legged friends move on. And all we have left are the memories, the pictures, toys, and ashes. Every day I make it a point to give Gus Gus tons of kisses on his little tummy, place our foreheads together and thank him for being one of the best Gurus I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I thank him for all the lessons he teaches me. I thank him for his unconditional love. And I also thank his spirit for choosing me to be the one who takes care of him.

The words, “sacred”, “divine”, “desire”, “Goddess” seemed like such loaded words to me only a few years ago. As my journey has led me to many new insights, adventures, losses, and experiences, I find that these words are very dear to me. I hold them in high regard, and honor them. Awakening to your inner Goddess and divine nature is never an easy task. There’s usually major loss involved; a loved one, a job, a relationship, a friendship, money.. or most times, a major washing away of what no longer serves us.

This post is not a “how-to”, but more of a sharing of sorts, of what I do, what I’m currently doing, and what aspects of my life honor my divinity. By incorporating these aspects into my life, I find it easier to have a deeper connection to myself, and source energy. None of these examples need to be done in order, these are just a few “Goddess Hacks” that I fully welcome you to try for yourself.

Sacred Music

I find it so relaxing to rest and relax in a space by myself and listen to music. As an empath, I find it very difficult to find my zen or get to a space where I feel free and divine when I’m constantly engaged and surrounded by other people in their energy. For me, my music tends to change as the day progresses. When I work form home, it isn’t unusual for me to listen to 8 hours of music. Here’s what I enjoy:

Morning: I like to start my day off light, soft, heart opening music. I tend to sway more towards mantras to meditate to and set my intentions for the day. I always haveJai-Jagadeesh on in the mornings. If you saw my January Favorites List, you’ll see her album is on there. You can easily buy her MP3 on Amazon and take her music with you wherever you go. I’ll typically finish my morning meditation/intention setting and find myself making tea, reading a book or article and have her on the background.

Afternoon: Mid day, if I’m at home, I find it to be a very interesting time for me. Somedays I find an anxious-feeling rise within me, other days, I’m a chill and cool as a cucumber. Midday smoothie bowls, work, research, and possibly siesta time (I live in Mexico- the heat is turning up! I just… need naps!), I can 9/10 find myself listening to Trevor Hall’s, “Chapter of the Forest”. He’s an incredible artist that definitely deserves all the support. You can definitely listen to his songs for free on YouTube, but as an artist myself, I don’t mind spending the $9 for someone’s album that I know I’ll listen to over and over again.

Evening: I love the evening time. Right after the sun goes down, it’s time for cooking delicious meals in the kitchen, sipping on glasses of wine or kombucha, and typically enjoying some type of music in the background. I always feel an ancient, primal energy in the evening, for me personally. Lately, I’ve really connected to listening to OM chanting – this one in particular-Om Mantra and Powerful Drums. I’m learning more and more about Solfeggio – and this recording is set to 852 & 963 Hz, which is said to awaken intuition, and spiritual states of being. Usually after dinner, if I feel I need a little more movement in my day, I’ll listen to this and do some hip openers/ rotations, and move my body/ sway along.

Bedtime: As I mentioned previously, I’m learning more about Solfeggio and have come across a fantastic audio, Sound Healing from Earthly Solfeggio Frequencies. If I’m not listening to guided meditations, I’m definitely listening to this. I’ve experienced several Out-of-Body-Experiences, lucid dreaming, and some pretty just epic dreams in general. Of course, if you’re wishing to explore what’s available, YouTube is an excellent source to research. Note- not ALL recordings are done as professionally as others, be sure to read the comments and make sure you’re listening to a high quality recording. I once listened to a beautiful 2 hour frequency only to be interrupted at the end by the artist himself telling me to “buy his album”. Can’t a girl just relax?

Do you listen to Binaural Beats? What are some of your favorite and sacred artists/musicians/ music. I’d love to hear about it!

My vision for Activated Living was to be an all encompassing brand that brought to light valuable information on holistic wellness, natural healing, and heart based connection. Beyond creating e-books and blogs sharing complimentary leading information and research, I had a dream to create a store that would support local artisans all over the world. I’m happy to say my vision is now a reality.

Within the first 9 days our store + message has been shared to over 5 different countries. My first line of gift sets are named Zen Boxes, with $6 USD to be donated to local artisans and jewelry makers in Mexico. If you’re looking for a gift to give this holiday season – be sure to shop local and support small businesses. Zen Boxes not only come with handcrafted and one of a kind jewelry from Mexico but is also a gift from the soul.

I’m so blessed to see this vision start to form itself into reality and I’m excited to see the growth of Activated Living.

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I feel this is such an important lesson for me in this season in my life. And as someone once told me, “What’s most personal is most universal”… so I figured I would share with you all my thoughts on the subject.

I used to be one of those girls who’d “blame it on Mercury Retrograde”. I’d curse the cycles. OF COURSE I didn’t get that promotion or my relationship didn’t work out- it was Retrograde. How’s a person to survive? Little did I realize through all the over-thinking, the analyzing, the lack of confidence I had in decision making was what was messing me up. The energy I was putting out into the universe was discombobulated. I didn’t know what I wanted. I didn’t even know how I wanted to FEEL. All I knew was that if something got effed up, well man, that’s just the cycles.

That’s just not how things work.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing astrology. I wouldn’t know how to read a chart or even tell you… well, I can’t even make up something witty. That’s just how little I understand astrology. However, for all the intricacies and amazing correlations the stars and the heavens relate to my day to day life, I can’t just go around acting like a chicken with it’s head cut off because of some planetary alignment I have no control of. I think that’s the key thing to point out here- Control. I mean, life will continue to keep life-ing away day after day, no matter what. And sometimes we get extremely stuck in our human conditions. It’s easy to blame things we have no control of over something MUCH larger that we have no control of. We forget that we’re just continually having an experience.

It’s time to stop glorifying our issues and problems over planetary alignments.

Seriously people, let’s take responsibilities for ourselves. For our life. Do it for your heart (and peace of mind) for God’s sake!

Still think I’m being too optimistic? Here’s a story for you:

Daniel and I had been given a situation. The cards were not dealt in our favor, and we found out we had about 45 days to figure out where to move from our cozy, comfy house in a very desirable part of the Silicon Valley. Due to our situation, we pretty much had a rent controlled situation. I was at the cusp of visioning how I wanted my business to look. I literally had JUST put down a deposit for a 10 week course in studying to be a spiritual practitioner (for a commitment of 3-4 years as I thought I’d be setting roots down for once!). Daniel’s business was getting us by, however we were at the very beginning stages of transferring his business online. And within all that – we had to figure out where to find an extra $2300 a month for rent (for a not so comfy 1 bedroom apartment in a less than desirable neighborhood). We had to figure out where to go. I found myself crying in our beautiful custom made walk in closet, sobbing away saying, “We can’t afford to be together!! We can’t afford to live together”. Guess what. It wasn’t even retrograde. It was just life.

18 long days later a friend of Daniels suggested we consider staying at his vacation rental in a beach town in Mexico. YEAH RIGHT. Like I’m moving to Mexico – I thought for a split second. But to be honest- it was the ONLY option that got me excited. It felt do-able. I didn’t know what the heck I’d do. How I’d survive. But I had saved up enough money to help pay for all of our baggage, get our dog Gus Gus down there and help pay for groceries and rent. Ok. We can do this.

We said goodbye to the old house in Campbell, California. Closed the door one last time. Turned the lock – hopped into the moving truck and drove away. We spent a good 5 days driving from Northern California to Southern California. Got comfortable at my mom’s place in Palm Springs. Unpacked and repacked. Said adios to the US and moved out of the country to create a new life as expats in Mexico. The funny thing? We moved in the height of retrograde, during a new moon.

It’s been 6 months and I have to say although there have been challenges and obstacles, it’s taught us lessons about ourselves and how to navigate our way through our partnership. We’re thriving. Life treats us with so many blessings and gifts. And I think that’s what we need to focus on.

Quit kicking yourself over things you can’t control. Remember. This is just an experience.

“Intuition-the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.”

The dictionary has a pretty vague definition of what we consider intuition to be. So for the longest time I just assumed that this deep, full, and intent “knowing” was something EVERYONE had. I soon found out that wasn’t the case at all.

For me, my intuition comes in many forms;

I feel things before they happen, I have a secure and deep “knowing”, I see visions, I hear my inner guides speak… it really all depends on the emotional level and where I’m at in my journey. When I first started listening to my inner guide, it was a very soft, faint voice. As I deepened my understanding and relationship to cultivating my intuition, that voice spoke louder and louder.

That voice told me, “you aren’t serving yourself by staying in a job you dislike”. So I quit my job while I was on a life changing retreat in Kauai. That voice also told me, “You are SO supported”. So I stayed on the island for a whole month, finding my path, meeting amazing people who showed me the enormous possibilities my intuition was capable of. This same voice told me, “Your teachers are in San Diego”. I left with a duffle bag full of clothes and headed west to figure out my next move. I met amazing guides and teachers who gave me the opportunity to work side by side with them.

Within my adventures and journey I will be sharing the subtle shifts, the big moments, and share my insights of cultivating your intuition and the importance of listening to your inner guide.

ABOUT

Activated Living is a holistic lifestyle website and podcast that integrates everything Mind, Body, and Soul. This brand was born out of a desire to celebrate a holistic, healthy, authentic life that is approachable to anyone in any season of their life. Nourish your body + feed your soul with Activated Living.

ABOUT

Activated Living is a holistic lifestyle website and podcast that bridges the gap between the Mind, Body and Soul connection. This brand was born out of a desire to celebrate a holistic, healthy, authentic life that is approachable to anyone in any season of their life. Nourish your body + feed your soul with Activated Living.